What Makes You Different?
By Frank Traditi
It’s a good bet you've been asked this question before.
Prospects, hiring managers, and people with influence frequently ask this question when making a buying or hiring decision. Each day we are bombarded with opportunities, advertisements, messages, and people trying to sell us something or convince us to hire them. A hiring manager scans through hundreds of resumes only to conclude that nobody stands out in the crowd. A decision maker sits through four presentations and can’t decide which service is the best fit. After a while, everything looks and sounds the same.
The average American is exposed to over 2000 impressions a day. During the last hour, how many of those impressions do you remember? In the last day? In the last week? Are there certain messages that stand out from the thousands of impressions? Or, do they all start to look and sound the same?
Companies spend tens of millions delivering these messages, some subtle and some not so subtle, every day of the week. A few of these communication methods actually work, but most don’t. What did you hear today that made you sit up and take notice? Most likely, it was a message directed at you personally. Something was different in the presentation of the message that spoke to your needs, problems, ideas, challenges, and personal situation. Now you want to learn more.
Now, let’s make this personal for you. What makes YOU different compared to the thousands of people with similar backgrounds, skills, and experience who are delivering the same message? You don’t have the budget to spend millions on delivering your message like big companies do, but you can stand out from the crowd. What are you communicating to people to get them to stand up and listen? Regardless of your profession, you are tested every day on your communication skills and how convincing you are.
Let’s look at three key reasons why people will want to sit up and take notice of you. These three reasons can work for you in any sales or marketing setting.
1. You offer ideas to solve their problem.
We all have problems to solve, whether it’s making the perfect pancake
or creating the perfect website. The message your audience needs to hear
loud and clear when you communicate with them says, "That will solve
my problem". Businesses large and small manage through a daily set
of challenges. There's no substitute for solving people's problems. Any
time you hear someone describing their problems, present solutions. Comments
like, “that’s a good idea,” or “I hadn’t thought
of that” indicate you’ve made a special connection.
2. You fit in.
While your experience, education, and other qualifications play a significant
role, the hiring decision, is still very much based on the personal opinion
of the decision maker. He or she will decide whether or not to hire you
based, not only on your qualifications, but how well your personality fits
in at their company. Often, their instinct decides who will win the business.
You don’t have to go through a personality transplant in order to
deliver the message that you fit in. A sincere, professional, and conversational
style is a great place to start. Smile, look your prospect in the eye, and
engage in a two-way conversation. Listen carefully, respond thoughtfully,
and don’t digress into personal details.
3. You bring value to the relationship.
Think of the people in your life you respect most and who stand out from
the rest of the crowd. What happens when you engage in conversation with
them? Chances are you usually hear something of value. They go out of their
way to listen and understand your situation and offer a kind word, praise,
empathy, a helpful tip, a great idea, or maybe just a shoulder to lean on.
Conversely, think of people you know that drain your energy just by being
in their presence. Most everything they say has a negative tone and you
have that heavy feeling after you’ve walked away from them. When you
assess that conversation, you find there was no value whatsoever for either
of you. Putting all this into a business relationship, potential clients
can easily connect with someone who brings value and recognize those who
don’t. In an interview, demonstrate your experience and knowledge
as significant value to the team and you will get the attention of the person
across the desk.
Listen to yourself carefully now as you go back out into the crowded world. Put your words and actions to the test. Ask, “Am I thinking of ways to solve people’s problems? Am I engaged in a professional and personable conversation that connects with my audience? And, do I bring value to every relationship?” Don’t stop asking until you can honestly answer yes to each question.
Here’s to being that one in a million.
Copyright © 2006, Frank Traditi
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